Guest Author - Elsa Neal

One of the biggest hurdles in writing is getting a publisher interested in buying your manuscript. For many writers, going through an agent first makes sense and is a little less daunting. The formatting rules are the same for submissions to both agents and publishers.

Follow the guidelines

The most important thing to remember is to follow the guidelines given to you by the agent or publisher. Most of them now list their submission guidelines on their websites.

For some agents and publishers, testing whether you can follow instructions is part of the process. The more specific their guidelines, the greater this possibility. Some even state this outright, while others dislike the idea of “testing” writers, and will not penalise you if you haven’t followed their guidelines.

If the agency or publisher you’re submitting to doesn’t list any guidelines, it’s worth telephoning their offices to ask.

Make your submission easy to read and handle

Sometimes the guidelines are not very specific. They may ask for a cover letter, synopsis, and sample chapter, but not give any indication of maximum length or whether the submission should be single- or double-spaced.

In cases like these, it’s safest to follow standard formatting specifications. Unless the agency or publisher specifies otherwise, submissions should always be double-spaced, with a one inch margin all round, and printed on only one side of the paper. However, if your synopsis is only a single page (on one side only), it is acceptable to print it single-spaced.

Your cover letter should be single-spaced, but beware of cramping it to fit on a single page. Don’t be tempted to reduce the font size for your cover letter, and use the same font type throughout your submission.

If the font is not specified, use a standard font like Times/Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier. (Although old-fashioned, Courier is still popular with typesetters because every letter is an identical width.)

The standard font size to use for submissions is 12 point, specifically because it is easy to read. Slush pile readers have a lot of manuscripts to go through, so don’t give them any formatting reasons to ignore yours. Don’t use a font bigger than 12 point, though, because it can be almost as difficult to get used to for eyes trained on 12 point.

The guidelines may request the use of either a serif font, like Times, or a sans serif font, like Arial. This will be because their reader finds either serif or sans serif fonts easier to read.

Don’t bind your submission in any way – no staples, paper clips, spiral- or ring-binding. If your submission makes it further up the line of decision makers, they will want to separate your pages easily to either take home to read, run through a copier, and/or pass on to others.

Because your submission may be separated, intentionally or accidentally, ensure your name and the title of your manuscript are on each page, and that the pages of your sample chapter are numbered.

Length of your submission

If the maximum length of the synopsis is not specified, send the shortest synopsis you can manage. One page is ideal – more than four pages stands a chance that it may not be read in its entirety.

If a word count maximum is given for your sample chapter, cut it off at the end of a sentence before that point. If the cut is in the middle of a chapter, add “Chapter continues, submission ends” after the final paragraph of your sample.

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For more specific advice on correct formatting, and making your manuscript stand out from the rest of the slush pile, try:

Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript by Cynthia Laufenberg. This is the revised edition, which contains additional examples of sample cover letters, synopses, and outlines.

If your medium is screen rather than book, you will need The Screenwriter's Bible : A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script by David Trottier